


mannerly devotion (shows in this)

by bitribbles



Series: fluffy qcard ficlets [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, You get the idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:34:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26869000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitribbles/pseuds/bitribbles
Summary: Picard's been working too hard, and Q can tell. The situation devolves into tooth-rotting fluff.Written for the 2020 Qcard Big Bang :)
Relationships: Jean-Luc Picard/Q
Series: fluffy qcard ficlets [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996483
Comments: 8
Kudos: 53
Collections: Qcard Big Bang





	mannerly devotion (shows in this)

**Author's Note:**

> this is just a small ficlet, hope y'all enjoy!  
> go show some love to @thesadchicken on tumblr for organizing the big bang this year! :)

Picard was tired.

Actually, the word "tired" was an understatement. Picard wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed and sleep for a whole day.

But, well, he couldn't. After all, those 14 reports weren't going to review themselves.

And so he ordered a black coffee, and miserably sat at his desk, and stared at his PADD. Had he read that sentence before? He was sure he had, but he hadn't registered a word of it. He rubbed his temples, took another sip of his coffee, and tried to decipher a paragraph. No luck.

He'd skipped to the next report, hoping that it would be less unintelligible, when he heard a whoosh of sound behind him.

Picard sighed. "Q, I'm busy right now."

"You're always busy, _mon cheri,"_ complained Q as he peered over Picard's shoulder. He frowned. "What's that?"

"A report," Picard said, without taking his eyes off it. "Of which I have several more that need to be looked over." He kept his eyes trained on the PADD in an effort to dissuade Q.

Q huffed. "Ugh. And don't tell me you're drinking _coffee!"_ He threw a disgusted glance at Picard's mug. 

"It's a necessary evil, Q, so I don't fall asleep."

Picard scanned another paragraph, none of which he understood. He rubbed his eyes and took another sip of his coffee, cringing inwardly at the taste.

Q straightened up as he crossed his arms. "Well, coffee's still revolting. It's your fault if I never kiss you again." Then Q perked up. "Do you want me to get you tea?"

"I'll get it myself," replied Picard automatically. But then he sighed as he reconsidered. "Alright, just this once. I can't have you spoiling me, you know."

Q grinned and snapped his fingers, and a steaming mug of Earl Grey appeared on Picard's desk. He reached for it, eyes still on the report, and took a sip. It tasted a lot better than his coffee.

Then Q leaned in again next to his ear. "Don't you think you _deserve_ to be spoiled, Jean-Luc?"

"No," Picard said dryly, but he was fighting a smile. _Damn it._

"Not even a _little?_ Not even if your partner is an omnipotent deity capable of doing _anything_ for you?"

"Not in the slightest." It was getting harder to resist the urge to look up.

Annoyingly, Q sat down on his desk. He had a playful expression on his face. "I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thine eyes—and moreover, I would do _anything_ for you.”

Picard rolled his eyes. "That's not the right quote."

"So?"

He had the fond realization that Q knew exactly how to weaken his resolve. _Mon dieu,_ he thought, and finally looked up at Q. 

"Q, dear _,_ have you really resorted to Shakespeare references to woo me?" Picard asked jokingly. 

"Possibly," Q said evasively, but his grin gave it all away. "I know you'd get them because you're a Shakespeare nerd."

Picard feigned indignation while a laugh threatened to escape him. "Says the person that wrote me a book of Shakespearean sonnets—"

"That was one time!"

Picard set down his PADD as he laughed. Oddly, he didn't feel quite so tired anymore. "You, Q, are impossible!"

Q swatted at his arm lightly. "You're one to talk, you sappy old fool."

"But you love me anyways." 

"I do." Q grinned, and gave Picard a peck on the cheek. "You’re no good to your precious Starfleet if you’re overworked, _mon cheri._ Take a break.”

"Absolutely not,” Picard replied, smiling. “I'm not even halfway done yet."

"Then I'll be sad to inform you that my distracting you counts as a break. You lose." Q tilted his head and disappeared with a flash.

Picard stared at where Q had been just a moment ago. He sighed with fond exasperation. "Q, dear, you are truly the worst."

"I love you too," came Q's sarcastic reply from thin air.

“Shoo, I'm trying to work!"

When no reply came, and he was assured that Q really was gone, Picard picked up his PADD again. Strangely enough, he found it easy to focus. Maybe that break _did_ do him some good, after all. 

But he’d never admit it to Q.

**Author's Note:**

> hope y'all enjoyed! love y'all! :)


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